AQUA24

AQUA24 - Description of current fluid administration practice in adult emergency department patients with suspected infection; a multicenter, prospective, observational study

To describe current 24 hour fluid administration practices in ED patients with suspected infection and assess the association between patient and disease characteristics and variations in amount of fluid administration.

Descriptive multicenter, prospective, observational study

All five emergency departments in Central Denmark Region

Patients with suspected infection admitted to one of the following EDs in Central Denmark Region (Regional Hospitals: Herning, Viborg and Aarhus University Hospital) from 7^th January to 7^th April 2020 (3 months).

Inclusion criteria

• Adult patient ³18 years
• Suspected infection (ordering of a blood culture for microbiological examination and/or administration of intravenous antibiotics) within 6 hours of presentation to the ED

Exclusion criteria

• Trauma-criteria fulfilled per local guidelines
• Life-threatening bleeding judged by the treating clinician

The primary outcome is the total amount of intravenous and oral fluids administered within the first 24 hours.      

Fluid administration in sepsis is currently guided by only weak recommendations. Sepsis is almost 60 times as common as septic shock, however research has been focusing on septic shock patients. This study will, therefore, provide important knowledge on how much fluid sepsis patients in all severities have administered within 24 hours. The study will form a baseline leading to a power calculation for a feasibility trial related to restrictive vs. standard fluid administration.     

All five EDs in Central Denmark Region